The Northern River Station is Moscow’s main river terminal, on the shore of the Khimki Reservoir along Leningradskoye Shosse, and one of the city’s most distinctive Stalin-era buildings. Opened in 1937 and designed by Alexey Rukhlyadev and Vladimir Krinsky, it looks like a large ship, with a central tower and a spire topped by a star.
It is the main hub for long cruises from Moscow, to Saint Petersburg, the Volga cities and beyond, and for shorter trips on the reservoir. It stands in a large park, a ten-minute walk from Rechnoy Vokzal Metro station. The station is far from the center, so it is not the place for central sightseeing boats. Cruise schedules and operators change, so check them before you go.
Quick Facts
| Russian name | Северный речной вокзал |
|---|---|
| Type | River pier / station |
| Built / opened | 1937 |
| Architect(s) | Alexey Rukhlyadev and Vladimir Krinsky |
| Address | Leningradskoye Shosse 51, Moscow (Ленинградское шоссе, 51) OpenStreetMap · Google Maps |
| District | Levoberezhny |
| Metro | Rechnoy Vokzal (Zamoskvoretskaya Line (Line 2, green), About a 10-minute walk through the park, crossing Leningradskoye Shosse by an underpass; follow the signs toward the embankment) |
| Opening hours | River cruises run in the navigation season, usually from spring to autumn, and departure times depend on the operator. The building and the park have their own hours (as of October 2026 – check the official site). |
| Admission | Entering the park and the embankment is free. Tickets are needed for cruises, sold at the ticket offices on the embankment or by the operators. |
| Best time to visit | Late spring to early autumn is the season for cruises and the park, and weekends are the busiest. In winter the cruises stop and the building and park are quiet. Crowd patterns were not verified. |
| Recommended duration | 30 to 60 minutes to see the building and the park; longer if you take a short cruise. |
| Last updated | October 7, 2026 |
How to Get to and from Northern River Station
| Option | Duration | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metro, Zamoskvoretskaya Line (green, Line 2) from Rechnoy Vokzal | About 30 to 40 minutes to the center; times not verified | Standard Metro fare; see the How to buy a Moscow Metro ticket guide | Best for reaching central Moscow, for example Tverskaya and Teatralnaya. Rechnoy Vokzal is the Metro station for the terminal, a ten-minute walk through the park. |
| Walk from the Metro station through the park | About 10 minutes | Free | Leave the Metro vestibule, walk to Festivalnaya Street, cross Leningradskoye Shosse by the underpass and follow the left alley of the park to the terminal. The ticket office is on the embankment to the left of the building. |
| Taxi | Depends on traffic | Check the app for the fare | Best with luggage for a long cruise. Use a taxi app and the official pick-up point rather than offers from touts. See the How to use taxi apps in Moscow guide. |
| Bus and minibus connections | Varies by route | Check the official fare | Buses run from the Metro station area to nearby districts; see the How to use buses, trams and trolleybuses in Moscow guide. |
| Central Moskva River cruises from other piers | About 1.5 hours | Check the operator's fare | Cruises past the Kremlin and the center leave from piers in the center, not from this terminal. See the How to take a Moskva River cruise guide. |
Why Visit Northern River Station?
The building alone is worth the trip for architecture lovers: a ship-shaped terminal with a tower, a broad central stairway down to the water and decorated halls, built as part of the Moscow Canal project that made Moscow a port of five seas. After a renovation that ended in 2020 it reopened with the surrounding park redesigned as a place to walk.
It is also the departure point of most long cruises from Moscow and of shorter trips on the Khimki Reservoir. It is far from the central sights, so allow time to get there, and check that a cruise is running, since river transport is seasonal.
Highlights of Northern River Station
The ship-shaped terminal building
The terminal was built between 1933 and 1937 together with the Moscow Canal, in the Stalinist Empire style, by Alexey Rukhlyadev and Vladimir Krinsky, and was designed to look like a large ship, with a central tower topped by a spire with a star and wide stairways descending to the piers. Early plans included arched galleries and floral decoration, unusual for Stalin-era buildings. It is a listed monument of regional significance.
Tip: Walk to the embankment and look back at the building from the water for the ship effect.
The tower and the central stairway
The tall central tower with its spire and star is the landmark of the terminal and can be seen from across the reservoir, and the broad central stairway leads down to the terraces and the piers, where two fountains, North and South, symbolize the link between the northern and southern waterways. These are the best features for a quick visit.
Tip: Climb the stairway to the terrace for the view over the reservoir.
The decorated halls
The main hall is reported to be richly decorated, with mosaic floors, painted ceilings and lamps shaped like shells and lilies of the valley, and the facade carries majolica medallions of Soviet construction sites. The interior was restored in the renovation of 2018 to 2020, but access to the halls depends on the operator and the day, so check before you go.
Tip: Ask at the ticket office if the main hall is open to visitors.
The park and the model canal
Behind the terminal lies a park of about 50 hectares designed as a place for passengers to relax, and the renovation added a 400-meter-long stream, a working model of the Moscow Canal with its gates and pumps, on the embankment. It is a good free way to spend an hour. See the Marina Roshcha guide on this site for another green area.
Tip: Follow the model canal along the embankment, then walk back through the park.
Cruises from the piers
Most long cruises from Moscow, to Saint Petersburg, Astrakhan, Perm and other cities, leave from here, along with shorter leisure trips of one to three hours on the Khimki Reservoir. The ticket office is on the embankment to the left of the terminal. Check the operators' schedules and the season. See the How to take a Moskva River cruise guide on this site for central cruises.
Tip: Check which pier your boat uses, since the piers are numbered and spread along the embankment.
The film-set terminal
The terminal has appeared in several Soviet films, including Volga-Volga, and it gave Moscow its nickname, the port of five seas, because ships could sail from here to the Baltic, White, Azov, Black and Caspian seas through the canal system. It is a good place to see why this building became a symbol of the city.
Tip: Look at the old photographs on the embankment, if displayed, for the terminal's early years.
Atmosphere
On a summer day the embankment is lively, with cruise passengers dragging suitcases toward the piers, families walking along the model canal and the horn of a departing ship echoing off the water. The tower and spire rise above the trees, and the stairway to the water is the natural place to stop and look.
Away from the piers the park is calm, with long alleys, benches and the sound of the reservoir. In winter the terminal is quiet and the cruises are off, apart from the occasional visitor to the building. The station is busiest at weekends in the navigation season.
History of Northern River Station
The Moscow Canal, which joined the Moscow River with the Volga, was built in the 1930s, and the Northern River Terminal was built together with it between 1933 and 1937, before the Khimki Reservoir was filled. The architects Alexey Rukhlyadev and Vladimir Krinsky designed it as a transit hub and a place to relax for those who came to Moscow, and sculptors and painters took part in its decoration.
When the canal opened, river vessels starting from the terminal could reach five seas, the Azov, Black, Caspian, Baltic and White seas, which gave Moscow the nickname port of five seas. The building was opened in 1937 and was designed in the Stalinist Empire style, with a spire topped by a star, although it had earlier elements that were unusual for the style, such as arched galleries resembling the Doge’s Palace in Venice.
The terminal appeared in Soviet films such as Volga-Volga and became one of the symbols of the city. It was designated a monument of architecture and heritage of regional significance.
The terminal was renovated and upgraded between 2018 and 2020, with the building restored, the embankment redesigned and a model of the Moscow Canal added, and it reopened to visitors on City Day in 2020. Today it is the main hub for long-distance and intercity cruises, and for shorter trips on the Khimki Reservoir.
River services are seasonal and the operators change over time, so the current schedules should be checked with the operators and the official sources.
Tickets and Payment at Northern River Station
Tickets for cruises are sold by the river-cruise operators, on their official websites, at the ticket offices on the embankment next to the terminal and through agents. Sales for long cruises usually open months ahead, and if your date is not yet on sale, the schedule has not been released. Cruise tickets are usually tied to a ship, a cabin type and a date, and your name and passport details may be required for long cruises, so check the operator’s rules for foreign guests.
- Metro: pay the city fare at the turnstiles; see the guide on buying a Metro ticket.
- Payment: foreign Visa and Mastercard cards are reported not to work in Russia, so check the payment options on the operators’ sites, and the sanctions rules of your own country may restrict some Russian payment services, so check this yourself.
- Taxis: avoid unofficial drivers who approach you and use a taxi app.
Rates for Russian citizens and concessions differ, so check the official website of the operator you choose for all ticket categories.
Flights, Transfers and Planning
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How to Get to Northern River Station
The terminal is at Leningradskoye Shosse 51, on the shore of the Khimki Reservoir. The nearest Metro station is Rechnoy Vokzal on the green Zamoskvoretskaya Line (Line 2). From the vestibule, walk to Festivalnaya Street, then straight toward the embankment to Leningradskoye Shosse, cross it by the underpass and follow the left alley of the park to the terminal, about ten minutes in all. The ticket office is on the embankment to the left of the building.
- Bus: several bus routes serve the Metro station area.
- Taxi and parking: use a taxi app and the official pick-up point; parking is reported to be spacious.
Accessibility
No official accessibility details were found. The terminal was renovated between 2018 and 2020 and has a broad central stairway and piers, but step-free routes and lifts were not verified, so contact the operators before you travel.
Food Nearby
The terminal and the embankment have cafes and kiosks, and the park has seasonal food stands. No individual venue was verified for this guide, so check opening hours on site.
What to Bring
A jacket or windbreaker for the water, comfortable shoes for the park walk, your ticket and passport for cruises, and cash in rubles for small purchases, since foreign cards are reported not to work.
Photography Rules
Photography is allowed on the embankment and in the park, and drones are subject to Moscow's strict rules, so avoid flying them near the terminal. Indoor photography in the halls may be restricted, so follow the signs and staff instructions.
Family Suitability
The park and the embankment suit families, with the model canal and the long alleys, and short cruises are workable with children. The walk from the Metro and the stairway to the piers can be hard with strollers, and the cruise season is short.
Moscow Vibes Tips
- Do not come here for central sightseeing boats: those leave from other piers, as explained in the How to take a Moskva River cruise guide.
- Allow ten minutes to walk from the Metro and extra time for the underpass under Leningradskoye Shosse.
- Check which pier your boat uses, since the piers are numbered along the embankment.
- Walk the model canal for a free look at how the Moscow Canal works.
- Visit in the afternoon on a clear day to see the tower and spire against the sky.
- For a long cruise, use a taxi if you have heavy luggage, since the walk from the Metro is through the park.
Explore Nearby Northern River Station
Metro stations near Northern River Station
Rechnoy Vokzal Metro Stationabout 450 m away (~7 min walk)Main image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
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FAQ: Northern River Station
When was the terminal built?
Between 1933 and 1937; it opened in 1937.
Who designed it?
Alexey Rukhlyadev and Vladimir Krinsky.
Which Metro station is nearest?
Rechnoy Vokzal, about ten minutes' walk.
Why is Moscow called the port of five seas?
Ships could sail from here to five seas via the canal system.
Do central cruises leave from here?
No, they leave from piers in the center.
Is entry free?
The park and embankment are free; cruises need tickets.
When did it reopen after renovation?
On City Day in 2020.
Can I pay with a foreign card?
Foreign Visa and Mastercard cards are reported not to work in Russia, and your country's sanctions rules may restrict some services, so check this yourself.
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Last updated: October 7, 2026. Found an error or something out of date? Report it and we will check and fix it.
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